Leo Najorda Shines As Red Bull Grabs Third Straight Third Place

As expected, the Magnolia Beverage Masters squad that battled for third place lacks the armory and ammunitions needed to win the battle for third place. Being heavily handicapped with the loss of import Amal McCaskill due to knee injury, the team relied on its All-Filipino lineup in waging war against the Barakos. The import's loss was felt heavily with Adam Parada dominating the paint and scoring at will.

Nevertheless, it was a better conference as compared to the All-FIlipino Cup where the team finished fifth, having back then other stars like Enrico Villanueva, LA Tenorio, and Larry Fonacier. Ken Bono showed a lot of promise leading the Magnolia Beverage Masters offensive thrust. Samigue Eman, on the other hand, showed a lot of turnovers - something that he need to work on to improve next season.

For the overachieving Red Bull Barako basketball team - Congratulations!

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THIRD STRAIGHT THIRD PLACE FOR RED BULL Barakos get consolation second runner-up honors in win over Magnolia

Source: Philippine Basketball Association
Wednesday, August 6, 2008

ADAM Parada finally came up with the kind of basketball gamme expected of him Wednesday night. Too bad it came too late for Red Bull.

Still, the Barakos drew strength from Parada's personal conference-high 33 points to beat the Magnolia Beverage Masters, 102-90, for third place in the Smart PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum.

Parada, who averaged only 16.3 points in the semifinals where Red Bull was swept in four gammes by Barangay Ginebra, also wound up with 11 rebounds, four assists and as many blocked shots while Leo Najorda added a career-high 22.

Together with Cyrus Baguio's 15 points, the Barakos clinched a third straight third place finish that was last achieved by Sta. Lucia Realty (the 1997 Commissioner's Cup to the '98 All-Filipino).

“Best consolation na ito. After our shutout basketball series with Ginebra the least we can do is try and win third,” said Barakos coach Yeng Guiao. “This makes us consistent with our finishes the whole season and it's not bad for a team like ours. Okay na rin ito.”

The victory is made extra special since Magnolia Beverage Masters, formerly known as San Miguel Beer, is the league's winningest with 17 titles and also has the most second runner-up honors with 14.

A 15th was denied, despite Kenneth Bono's career gamme of 15 points and 11 rebounds that led four other Magnolia Beverage Masters who chipped in at least 10 points each.

A very big factor for the Barakos was Magnolia Beverage Masters import Amal McCaskill seeing very limited action due to reported injuries on both knees. He started the gamme but was taken out after only first five minutes, contributing nothing.

Guiao said it is now a matter of renewing the basketball contracts of most of their seven players with expiring pacts and looking forward to their preparations for the coming season that starts October 4.

Guiao revealed that the basketball contracts of Baguio, Mike Hrabak, Topex Robinson, Warren Ybanez and Carlo Sharma are sure to be renewed.

“They're already done deals in principle,” he said. “But first, we have to study the basketball draft prospects because we have a first round pick,” said Guiao, whose basketball team picks ninth overall.

Helping Parada the most in the third period was Baguio's 10 points and Celino Cruz's six which allowed the Barakos to outscore the Beveerage Masters 37-27 to go up by 85-70.

Parada already had 18 points and eight rebounds and Najorda 15 in the first half as Red Bull tried to impose its will in the early goings against a Magnolia Beverage Masters squad that showed a lot of grit despite playing all-Filipino for majority of the basketball gamme.

In fact, the Magnolia Beverage Masters managed to hold their own against the Barakos and even came clambering back from a 70-86 deficit to make it a very manageable 82-86, still plenty of time left.

Behind Parada's steady basketball play and significant contributions from Kiko Adriano, Red Bull quickly re-organized and countered with an 8-0 surge to make it a more comfortable 94-82 count, still 6:14 to go.

Magnolia Beverage Masters would come no closer than nine points the rest of the way.

It was a much tighter contest in the first half, where the Magnolia Beverage Masters jumped the gun on the Barakos for two nine-point leads and kept within striking distance 43-48 at the half.

Mike Cortez and Danny Seigle each had eight points after the first two quarters.

Even rookie Jonas Villanueva chipped in five points in the second quarter, all coming during an 8-2 run that gave Magnolia Beverage Masters its second nine-point lead of the gamme 33-24, 10:21 to go before the break.

But Red Bull simply would not be denied and applied more pressure in the latter part of the quarter and throughout most of the third.

Before Magnolia Beverage Masters knew it, Red Bull had stretched its halftime lead to 15 and to its biggest at 86-70 at the start of the payoff period.

The high emotions riding on the gamme was typified by Sharma, who was ejected with 9:20 left in the fourth period after showing his displeasure on a non-call by throwing the ball on a referee with his basketball team ahead 86-74.

The incident seemed to spark Magnolia Beverage Masters uprising even more as it closed to within four points on a charity split by Dorian Pena. (NCo)

The scores:

Red Bull 102 - Parada 33, Najorda 22, Baguio 15, Adriano 7, Cruz 6, Membrere 5, Bugia 4, Alvarez 4, Duncil 2, Sharma 2, Ybanez 1, Robinson 1, Hrabak 0.

Magnolia 90 - Bono 15, Cortez 13, Tugade 12, Seigle 12, Villanueva 10, Pena 9, Racela 8, Pingris 4, Tolomia 4, Gonzales 2, Eman 1, McCaskill 0, Calaguio 0.

Quarterscores: 22-28, 48-43, 85-70, 102-90.

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Red Bull Barako Battles Magnolia For Third Place

My observation on San Miguel Beermen/Magnolia Beverage Masters not competing for third place was invalidated by the news below with the team garnering 14 third-place tropies - all since 1975. Well, that was just an observation for the past few years. Nevertheless, its still nice to watch and support our basketball team for the last time around this season.

Aside from the being winningest team in league history with 17 championships, the San Miguel franchise also has the most number of third-place trophies with 14 – all since 1975.

I do hope that Danny Seigle will play more minutes tonight for him to raise his morale going in the off-season. I also would like to see players who were frequently benched to get substantial minutes to see if they deserve a spot in the team for the next season.

Red Bull on the other hand, will be raring to exact revenge on Magnolia Beverage Masters' sister team Barangay Ginebra Kings to what they have done to them - a sweep of the best-of-seven semifinals series.



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San Miguel Beermen website. Click here.

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WAR OF A REMATCH FOR THIRD PLACE Red Bull, Magnolia battle prior to Game 1 of Finals

Source: Philippine Basketball Association
Tuesday, August 5, 2008

IT is quite understandable the limelight is all on the upcoming Air21-Barangay Ginebra Finals for the 2008 Smart PBA Fiesta Conference title. The crowd-favorite Kings are making basketball tickets selling like hotcakes even as Express fans are imagining a king-sized upset in the making.

But there’s one more battle to be fought before Game 1 of the best-of-7 title war begins Wednesday at the Araneta Coliseum and that’s the one-gamme battle for third place between semifinal losers Red Bull and Magnolia Beverage Masters.

The No. 2 basketball team after the eliminations which meant an outright berth to the best-of-seven semifinals, the Barakos were surprisingly swept by Barangay Ginebra. It came almost 16 years after head coach Yeng Guiao had engineered the last known best-of-seven sweep in basketball league history which happened when his then Swift basketball team, led by a high-scoring import named Tony Harris, applied the broom on Seven-Up to win the 1992 Third Conference title, the first of five PBA basketball titles under Guiao’s belt.

Magnolia Beverage Masters, on the other hand, lost to Air21 in their best-of-seven semis basketball series, 4-2, despite winning the basketball series opener.

Unknown to many, the Barakos and the Magnolia Beverage Masters also figured against each other in the battle for the second runner-up trophy in last season’s Fiesta Conference with Red Bull, then with James Penny as import, prevailing 103-96 over a Galen Young-led Magnolia Beverage Masters squad.

Curiously, both teams will battle it out for third in the two Fiesta Conferences which followed right after their title triumphs in the previous two – San Miguel Beer in 2005 and Red Bull in 2006.

The Barakos also took third-place honors in the Philippine Cup early this year which means they are actually gunning for a third straight third place-finish.

No basketball team has won third place honors three in a row in the basketball league in the last 10 years or since Sta. Lucia did so starting in the 1997 Commissioner’s Cup.

Red Bull will be looking to take the third-place trophy against a Magnolia Beverage Masters team that will have its best finish this season. The Magnolia Beverage Masters only finished fifth in the Philippine Cup.

“It’s still important to us,” says Magnolia Beverage Masters head coach Siot Tanquingcen. “Besides every gamme is our way of paying respect to the basketball gamme that has given us so much… by playing hard everytime whether its an actual gamme or just practice.”

The Barakos, who have matched their longest losing streak in the basketball conference, are also looking to avoid their longest losing streak in the last three years. Red Bull has not lost five in a row since ending the 2004-05 Philippine Cup with a 6-gamme losing run.

Win or lose on Red Bull will have its fewest number of wins in a season since 2001. The Barakos tote a 28-22 slate for the season, which will mean it will not finish with at least 30 wins for the first time in the last six seasons.

Finishing third or fourth, however, will still be considered an overachievement for a Red Bull team that has lost the likes of Rico Villanueva, Lordy Tugade, Larry Foncier and Junthy Valenzuela one after the other since last year to other basketball teams by way of trades.

Win or lose, Magnolia Beverage Masters, which is 24-23 so far this season, will fall short of its 35-27 record last season but will still be better than its 22-23 two seasons ago.

Aside from the being winningest team in league history with 17 championships, the San Miguel franchise also has the most number of third-place basketball trophies with 14 – all since 1975. (FM)

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Barangay Ginebra Guns For Finals Seat, Magnolia Beverage Masters Try to Arrest Skid

The Magnolia Beverage Masters will try to arrest a 2-game skid against the rampaging Air21 Express to level the series at 2-2. Barangay Ginebra on the other hand, will try to close out the Red Bull Barakos to grab a finals seat.

As I am frequently mentioning here, the only way for the Magnolia Beverage Masters to win is to play excellent stingy defense in 48 minutes of action plus some consistency in offense in the fourth quarter where the Express surprisingly took charge in the last two outings.

Will Seigle play tonight? That's another doubltful question. But in his abscense, Lordy Tugade and the other veterans should take charge if they want to win this one while Danny Seigle is recuperating from injuries. Levelling the series at 2-2 will make it more exciting to watch with the series probably closing at six games or a knockout Game 7.

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Ginebra guns for finals seat

Source: Manila Bulletin Online
By Waylon Galvez | July 27, 2008

One win separates Barangay Ginebra from earning the first finals slot in the Smart-PBA Fiesta Cup and the Kings go for it today when they clash with Red Bull at 4:30 p.m. at the Araneta Coliseum.

The Kings lead the Bulls, 3-0, in the best-of-seven semifinals and a win today will complete a sweep for the crowd favorites while setting them up for another best-of-seven playoffs with the winner of the other semifinals between Air21 and Magnolia Beverage Masters.

Air21, which leads 2-1, tries to move a step closer to a first-ever basketball championship appearance when the Express tackle the Magnolia Beverage Masters at 6:50 p.m.

Air21 mentor Bo Perasol has expressed optimism as he noted that his basketball players have matured in this basketball series and complemented well with import Steven Thomas.

"As a team, we really matured, we gained basketball experience in these type of basketball playoff gammes," Perasol said. "But we know that trying to take a 3-1 lead will be tough, but we’re ready against Magnolia Beverage Masters."

Gary David, who averaged 18.3 points in the basketball series, No.1 among the Air21 locals, will try to lead his basketball team anew to victory, like what he did in their gammes 2 and 3 wins.

Air21 will also rely on Thomas, local mainstays Arwind Santos, Homer Se, Ranidel de Ocampo, Nini Cañaleta and Wynne Aboleda.

As for Magnolia Beverage Masters, coach Siot Tangquingcen will lean on import Amal McCaskill, Dondon Hontiveros, Lordy Tugade, Danny Ildefonso, Mike Cortez, Olsen Racela and Marc Pingris.

Danny Seigle, who sat out the first two gammes and appeared only in the final seconds of gamme 3, is again a doubtful starter due to a strained (leg) muscle.

Focus, however, are on the mighty Kings, whose latest win was their 11th straight this conference, the best since Red Bull’s 10-gamme winning streak during the 2003 Reinforced Conference.

Ginebra, which entered the semifinals via a quarterfinal sweep of Philippine Cup champion Sta. Lucia Realty, won gamme 1, 108-82; gamme 2, 111-101; and gamme 3, 94-91.

A win by the Kings will propel the SMC-owned franchise to its 17th finals basketball appearance in the PBA.

In the rich history of the pro league, no basketball team was able to come back from a 0-3 hole, but according to Ginebra coach Jong Uichico, if there’s one basketball team that is capable of doing that, "it’s Red Bull."

"We need to play with the same intensity if we intend to close this out," Uichico said. "We don’t want to make this difficult for ourselves, we want to get this over as soon as possible."

Red Bull mentor Yeng Guiao, one of the strong contenders for the coaching post of the national basketball team the PBA will name after the conference, isn’t giving up.

"We had a really good chance of winning gamme Three, only to slide back and had mental mistakes," Guiao said. "We’re definitely not giving up. Our goal is to win this one, once we do that, we’ll start from there.

"We had a good practice (Saturday morning), and our thinking is that if they can win three straight basketball gammes, we can also win three straight basketball gammes," he added.

For the Bulls to win, they have to limit the scoring production of the Kings’ basketball guards, particularly Jayjay Helterbrand and Mark Caguioa, who are averaging 21 and 19.6 points, respectively, in the basketball series.

Also, Red Bull’s 7-foot Mexican import Adam Parada have to match the intensity of fellow 7-footer Chris Alexander, who averaged 16.3 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks in three basketball gammes.

Parada had his best gamme in the previous outing with 19 points, 17 boards and three blocked shots after struggling in the first two due to a hamstring injury.

"We’re not happy the way he’s playing in this basketball series, but we’re not giving up on him," Guiao added.

Aside from Parada, the Bulls will also lean on the locals like Cyrus Baguio, Mick Pennisi, Mike Hrabak, Rich Alvarez, Topex Robinson, Leo Najorda and Celino Cruz, ejected in the third quarter of gamme Three despite a cut on his tongue.

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Barangay Ginebra Guns for 3-0, Magnolia Beverage Masters to Get 2-1 Lead

It's back to square one for the battle between Magnolia Beverage Masters and the Air21 Express. This series is quite more exciting as compared to the series between Barangay Ginebra and Red Bull Barako with the Gin Kings dominating the series at this stage so far taking a 2-0 lead.

It will be another close ballgame but I expect the Magnolia Beverage Masters to make the necessary defensive adjustment to limit the Express offensive game. No predictions for today. Let's just enjoy the game and let the teams play.

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STREAKING GINEBRA GUNS FOR 3-0 BUBBLE
Air21, Magnolia to break 1-1 standoff

Source: Philippine Basketball Association
Thursday, July 24, 2008

Some seasoned observers have proclaimed that the semifinal basketball series between Barangay Ginebra and Red Bull is over.

And nobody, it seems, would want to disagree. The signs, after all, are convincing.

The Kings are playing consistent and solid basketball with Chris Alexander, Mark Caguioa and Jayjay Helterbrand completely dominating their Red Bull counterpart.

They are also noticeably more motivated than the Barakos, who appear to have lost their basketball chemistry and desire to excel after taking a two-week break – their reward for gaining outright basketball passage into the Final Four.

Yet, for all their splendid efforts in Gammes 1 and 2, Ginebra coach Jong Uichico isn't ready to address Red Bull in the past tense, no matter how basketball sportswriters tried to press him to deliver a bold statement that would sound a tad short of counting out the Barakos, who now trail the Kings, 0-2.

"We had our battles. More or less I know how (coach) Yeng (Guiao) thinks. He is an excellent basketball motivator. Red Bull is a dangerous basketball team specially when their backs are against the wall," offered Uichico moments after their 111-104 basketball victory Wednesday – Ginebra's second win in as many basketball gammes in the best-of-seven semifinal basketball series of the 2008 Smart PBA Fiesta Conference.

No one will dare argue that the Kings, champions of this basketball tournament four years ago, are playing their best basketball of the conference – and possibly of the season.

After a 0-5 start, the Kings closed out the eliminations by racking up six wins in a row to stave off early exit and avoid the wildcard phase. As of latest count, Ginebra is now the proud owners of a 10-gamme winning streak – the longest by any basketball team this conference.

Still, Uichico maintained anything can happen and cautioned his troops to be ready for any eventuality.

To justify his apprehension, Uichico reminded the league's beat reporters that Ginebra had also been in the same situation as Red Bull is now.

Recollecting his memories, the soft-spoken mentor said Ginebra had also fallen in a 0-2 hole against Magnolia Beverage Masters, then carrying the colors of San Miguel Beer, during the 2006-07 Philippine Cup Finals. But the Kings, as they always, didn't quit. They rallied and managed to win the next four basketball gammes to claim the basketball championship.

"There is a possibility it could happen. But I hope it would not," he said.

Nevertheless, the unassuming Uichico said Friday night's Gamme 3 set at 7:20 p.m. at the Ynares Center in Antipolo could be Red Bull's last shot to get back in the basketball series.

No team in the 33-year history of the basketball league has come back from a 0-3 deficit to win a best-of-seven basketball series.

"Their last shot is on Friday. We know they'll be giving their all so we also have to play 100 percent. We also need to win Gamme 3 just as much to get closer to the Finals," said Uichico.

The Kings will be marching into Gamme 3 without substitute center Alex Crisano, who has been suspended for one basketball gamme and fined P20,000 by PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios for his flagrant foul penalty 2 stemming from a play in the third quarter that saw him slamming the ball on the face of Red Bull guard Jojo Duncil.

Barrios also fined Duncil P5,000 but this was due to the flagrant foul penalty 1 assessed him for tripping Paul Artadi while the Ginebra guard was on his way to the basket.

The possibility of Red Bull winning Gamme 3 isn't far-fetched. But the Barakos will have to play consistently as a unit and try to match Ginebra's intensity and energy – something they sorely lacked in Gammes 1 and 2.

After a disappointing seven-point performance in Gamme 1, Cyrus Baguio sparkled with 34 points on Wednesday and Adam Parada showed some signs of life as well, pouring 16 points and cornering 10 rebounds – a remarkable improvement from his six-point, eight-rebound output in the opener last Sunday.

Still, their efforts did little to inspire the Barakos, who seemed to have lost fire and enthusiasm that propelled them to an outright spot in the semifinals.

The other semifinal series between Air21 and Magnolia Beverage Masters is showing strong indication of developing into one hell of a suspense theater.

With the series now tied at one basketball gamme apiece, the odds are even going into Gamme 3, although the Express enjoy a psychological advantage in their scheduled 4:50 p.m. date after escaping with a 103-102 cliffhanger in Gamme 2.

With import Steven Thomas back in the lineup, the Express appeared emotionally charged in Gamme 2 and their confidence helped them survived a belated rally by the Magnolia Beverage Masters in the closing seconds to tie the series.

"As I have been saying all along it's not how many points he makes. It's his defense and his presence that brings great value to us. Thomas’ mere presence provides the us with inspiration and confidence," said Air21 coach Bo Perasol of his import, who missed Gamme 1. (DBC)

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Barangay Ginebra and Magnolia Beverage Masters Brace For Tougher Game 2

I totally agree that these are tougher and more exciting battle between the four teams. However, it is unfortunate that I will not be able to witness as I am out for the whole night. Too bad!

Whatever happens, we know both squads will rely on their playoffs experience to put away whatever surprises their foes have. My prediction: it will be 2-0 for Magnolia Beverage Masters. Burn me at the stakes if I miss. Just joking.

How about you? What's your take? Feel free to leave your comments.

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GINEBRA, MAGNOLIA BRACE FOR TOUGHER GAME 2
Barakos, Express raring to bounce back and equalize

Source: Philippine Basketball Association
Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Coaches Jong Uichico of Barangay Ginebra and Siot Tanquingcen of Magnolia Beverage Masters are used to the basketball playoff atmosphere.

So it’s not surprising at all that they are bracing themselves for a tough grind Wednesday night, totally different from the one their troops faced in the opener of their respective semifinal basketball series.

With close to 11,000 spectators on hand at the Cuneta Astrodome, the Barangay Ginebra Kings dominated and silenced the Red Bull Barakos, 108-82, and Magnolia Beverage Masters pounced on undermanned Air21, 113-87, Sunday to gain a headstart in the 2008 Smart PBA Fiesta Conference best-of-seven basketabll series.

The Kings and the Magnolia Beverage Masters were clearly in their best in Gamme 1, looking every inch certified basketabll title contenders. But neither Uichico nor Tanquingcen was ready to proclaim that this basketabll series – which will send the winners into a basketabll championship showdown – could end sooner than expected.

"It's always a relief to win the first ballgame. But this doesn't mean anything," offered Uichico, noting it would be a big mistake to count the Barakos out this early into the basketabll series.

Not even the Kings' nine-game winning streak, it seems, is enough to convince the two-time Coach of the Year that this series would be a simple walk in the park for his troops.

"We're not too concerned about the streak. Our goal has always been play to win," Uichico said.

The fact that Red Bull managed to secure a seat in the Final Four without the so-called "basketabll superstars" is a testament to the resiliency of the Barakos – something that Uichico said should not be overlooked by the Kings.

"We know what Red Bull is capable of doing. We just have to match their intensity and keep our basketabll defensive mentality," said Uichico, who expects their 4:50 p.m. encounter at the Araneta Coliseum to be a little bit more physical and aggressive.

Modesty aside, even Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao believes his charges should have no trouble bouncing back from Sunday's lopsided loss. But he also said they have to find a way to slow down Ginebra import Chris Alexander, who completely dominated Adam Parada in Gamme 1.

"He's big and quicker than Adam. He's a very big problem for us if we can't find a way to slow him down,” Guiao said.

Alexander posted 16 points and 17 rebounds in Gamme 1 while holding Parada to just 6 points on 2-of-8 shooting.

Tanquingcen is also convinced that their 7:20 p.m. date with the Air21 Express won't be easy.

"Definitely, it will be a different story in Gamme 2," said Tanquincen.

The Magnolia Beverage Masters had an easier time controlling Gamme 1 mainly because Air21 import Steven Thomas wasn't around.

"He's back. So we're back in business," said Bo Perasol, the low-keyed Express basketabll coach who was pleased to see his reliable reinforcement back in the basketabll lineup.

Thomas, who made himself available for Korean Basketball League draft, arrived early Monday morning from the U.S. and headed straight to the Xavier basketabll gym in San Juan to join the team in basketabll practice.

Without Thomas in Gamme 1, the Express gave up 25 markers on second chance points, 16 more than their average in the eliminations.

"We really had a tough time without him. But it will be an entirely different story on Wednesday," Perasol said. (DBC)

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Magnolia Beverage Masters and Barangay Ginebra Faces Separate Rivals To Start Semis

It's now the start of the semifinals that will be fought between sister teams Magnolia Beverage Masters and Barangay Ginebra Against Air21 Express and Red Bull Barako. The two teams being #3 and #4 respectively after the quarterfinals suddenly became the favorites to win the first battle as their rivals encountered some sort of misfortunes.

Air21 Express will be playing without its prolific import in Steven Thomas. Thomas begged to attend a bootcamp in US but will only be arriving tomorrow. Red Bull on the other hand, losses Carlo Sharma due to a freak accident at home.

The first encounter is always vital for a team who wants to get a quick edge in a best-of-seven series. Without Thomas, I expect the Magnolia Beverage Masters to have a feast inside the shaded lane in terms of inside points and rebounding category. However, Air21 Express should not be taken lightly as it is a capable of staging an upset if you don't respect them.

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Quest for Fiesta finals berths on

Source: Manila Bulletin Online
By Waylon Galvez
July 20, 2008

Will the long layoff be a problem for outright semifinalists Air21 and Red Bull? Can Magnolia Beverage Masters and Barangay Ginebra sustain the momentum from their respective quarterfinal wins?

How will the Express – with an all-Filipino lineup – fare against the Magnolia Beverage Masters? Who’s better between two 7-footers, the Kings’ Chris Alexander or the Bulls’ Adam Parada?

Answers to these questions will be known in part today as the best-of-seven semifinals showdowns pitting Air21 against Magnolia Beverage Masters and Red Bull versus Ginebra in the Smart-PBA Fiesta Cup unwrap at the Astrodome in Pasay City.

The Express and the Magnolia Beverage Masters clash at 4:30 p.m., while the Bulls and the Kings collide at 6:50.

Air21 (12-6) and Red Bull (11-7) finished the elimination round with the best two records to earn automatic semifinals seats, but are coming off long layoffs -- the Express almost three weeks and the Bulls two weeks.

This is why "rustiness" is an issue for both teams although coaches Bo Perasol of Air21 and Yeng Guiao of Red Bull expressed confidence that their respective teams are ready to play.

"It can go either way," Perasol, whose team earned a first automatic Final Four slot since joining the PBA in 2002, said. "We are well rested pero di naman kami nagpabaya sa conditioning namin."

"We’ll see (in Gamme 1) if rustiness will have an effect on us," Guiao said.

Magnolia Beverage Masters and Barangay Ginebra, on the other hand, clinched their berths after coming out victorious in their respective quarterfinals series, with the former beating Coca-Cola in three basketball games and the latter sweeping Philippine Cup champion Sta. Lucia Realty in their separate best-of-three playoffs.

One thing going for both Air21 and Red Bull is that they beat their semis rivals twice in the eliminations.

The Express edged the Magnolia Beverage Masters in their first meeting (96-90).

At that time, Magnolia Beverage Masters was with import Jameel Watkins, and although it changed its import in NBA veteran Amal McCaskill, Air21 repeated last June 25 (90-88) on Steven Thomas’ basketball game-winning jumper.

However, Air21 will play minus Thomas, who will return only tomorrow after attending a three-day training camp in La Vegas intended for imports wishing to play as reinforcement in the Korean Basketball League (KBL) this October.

"Offensively and defensively we need to step up," Perasol said. "We’re ready mentally and physically even without Thomas. The locals committed and accepted the challenge to win (Gamme 1)."

It should have been Thomas, who averaged 23.4 points and 16.6 rebounds in the elimination round, defending McCaskill but now Perasol will rotate bigmen Homer Se, Enrvin Sotto and Doug Kamer to defend the 7-foot import.

Magnolia Beverage Masters coach Siot Tanquingcen said that Air21’s youthful lineup is also a concern, with its running basketball game anchored by Arwind Santos and Nino Cañaleta.

"They have fresh legs and they can run, so we have to fins ways to limit their scoring," Tanquingcen said, adding that Danny Seigle is day-to-day after he did not play in the quarters due to strained leg muscle.

Aside from McCaskill’s inside basketball game, the Magnolia Beverage Masters will also rely on the perimeter shooting of Dondon Hontiveros, Lordy Tugade and Mike Cortez.

The Bulls also downed he Kings twice in the elimination last March 30 (89-83) and June 1 (86-82).

That was the last time Ginebra dropped a basketball game as it won its last eight, six in the elimination and two in the quarters opposite SLR.

"They’re really playing well right now," Guiao said. "We have to match their intensity on both ends. Playing solid defense is also important as we try to limit their import and locals."

The Kings’ Alexander (20.5 points, league best 22.5 rebounds and 3.0 shot blocks) and the Bulls’ Mexican reinforcement Parada (21.7 points and 15.6 rebounds) will be the focal point of their teams’ defense and offense.

Aside from the imports, also expected to contribute are the locals.

While Ginebra will lean on Mark Caguioa, Jayjay Helterbrand Eric Menk, Rafi Reavis, Sunday Salvacion and Paul Artadi, Red Bull will rely on Cyrus Baguio, Mic Pennisi, Mike Hrabak, Celino Cruz and Rich Alvarez.

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Red Bull Subdues Magnolia Beverage Masters

I was not able to watch this game as I attended a wedding of a former officemate. Too bad, we lost to Red Bull as we are already starting to climb the standings ladder.

I got feedback from forums and the team's performance really look bad ranging from low energy, unhealthy players to committing many turnovers by our reinforcement Jameel Watkins. I'm really worried how our team performs. We need to change somethings if we want to end up in a better position come playoffs time.

How the Barakos crushed our team follows after the jump.

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Source: PBA.ph
June 9, 2008

Red Bull is again on the run, not cooling down despite a weeklong rest.

The Barakos picked up from where they left off against the Barangay Ginebra Kings seven days ago, stopping the Magnolia Beverage Masters charge with an 84-75 win Sunday in the 2008 Smart PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum.

Making a two-game run after a three-game skid, the Barakos stayed abreast with the Coca-Cola Tigers atop the heap with identical 9-5 win-loss cards.

Magnolia Beverage Masters slid to fifth place at 7-7 after suffering its first loss in its last three basketball games.

Curiously, the Beverage Masters went on a two-game romp in the absence of key players Dondon Hontiveros and Danny Seigle.

Falling behind by 13, 52-65, at the close of the third quarter, coach Siot Tanquingcen was forced to field in Seigle in the final period to no avail.

The Barakos cut loose from a tight basketball game in the third period and simply sustained the momentum in the final canto in avenging a 95-102 loss to the Beverage Masters in their previous tiff.

"We had a weeklong rest and I think we're able to make good use of it. We had a good preparation which we showed in the basketball game," said Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao.

"We're happy with the way we played defense. We limited them to 75 and I think it's a feat against a powerhouse team like Magnolia Beverage Masters," Guiao added.

"Offensively, we played as a team. We didn't want to put so much responsibility on our import and Cyrus Baguio. We wanted to spread our offense and we're able to do that." Baguio turned to be the basketball game's highest scorer already with only 16.

All but two of the 11 other players fielded in by Guiao had their offensive contributions.

Parada cancelled out Jameel Watkins' basketball game with the Red Bull import logging 13 points and 14 rebounds as against the Magnolia Beverage Masters reinforcement's 13 markers and 17 boards.

The 7-foot-1 Mexican behemoth had his share as the Barakos made a decisive move in the third period, breaking the basketball game open at 65-52.

The Barakos hit heavily from afar early on with Baguio, Celino Cruz, Mike Hrabak and Mick Pennisi firing two triples each as the Bulls took a 42-40 edge at halftime.

The Beverage Masters trailed at the turn though enjoying a better field-goal shooting.

They hit at a 50-percent clip as against the Bulls' 33.3-percent marksmanship.

Magnolia Beverage Masters shooting simmered down in the final half and that in part helped Red Bull seize control in the low-scoring contest.

Rookie Jojo Duncil, Leo Najorda and Parada hit clutch shots giving the Bulls their biggest spread in the contest at 73-54 early in the fourth quarter. (NC)

The Scores:

Red Bull 84 - Baguio 16, Cruz 15, Pennisi 14, Parada 13, Hrabak 8, Duncil 7, Robinson 4, Alvarez 3, Najorda 2, Sharma 2, Ybanez 0, Adriano 0.

Magnolia 75 - Watkins 13, Racela 13, Villanueva 11, Cortez 7, Tugade 7, Tolomia 7, Ildefonso 6, Seigle 4, Pingris 3, Gonzales 2, Pena 2.

Quarterscores: 23-19, 42-40, 65-52, 84-75

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MAGNOLIA BEVERAGE MASTERS HALT RED BULL RUN ON THE ROAD: Tugade, Racela Shine Brightest Against Barakos

Without Danny Seigle to produce the needed points, Lordy Tugade and Olsen Racela took charge to stop Red Bull's run in an out-of-town basketball game.

It was a come-from-behind win with the Barakos controlling most of the ballgame until the late charge by the Beverage Masters. One major keys in winning this ballgame was the stoppage of Red Bull's main man Cyrus Baguio.

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MAGNOLIA BEVERAGE MASTERS HALT RED BULL RUN ON THE ROAD: Tugade, Racela Shine Brightest Against Barakos

Source: PBA.ph
Saturday, 03 May 2008

LIPA CITY. – Enough of the classic Red Bull endgame comebacks and giant-killing ways.

The Magnolia Beverage Masters never let the Barakos come close to pulling off another miracle rally in the stretch of a 102-95 win on the road Saturday night.

Lordy Tugade torched his former team for 22 points while Olsen Racela turned back the hands of clock to score 19 markers – on a 7-of-10 shooting from the field – for a Magnolia Beverage Masters team that secured the victory by forcing 11 Red Bull turnovers and holding its opponent scoreless in a big game-turning third period.

Until that crucial meltdown, the Barakos were in complete control of the exciting ballgame at the La Salle Centrum here.

Even without star forward Danny Seigle for the second straight ballgame, the Magnolia Beverage Masters continued their slow push on the upper half of the Smart-PBA Fiesta Conference standings, notching their fourth win in seven ballgames and somehow, easing the pain of their embarrassing 101-108 setback at the hands of the Welcoat Dragons Wednesday night.

Seigle again sat out the ballgame due to a foot injury.

The Barakos, whose last two ballgames were punctuated by thrilling comeback victories, meanwhile, fell to a share of the top spot with idle Coca-Cola, both with similar 5-2 (win-loss) cards.

Import Adam Parada led the team with 22 points and 24 rebounds but seemed too exhausted at the time the Beverage Masters were in the midst of their searing scoring run in the second half.

Red Bull thus failed in its bid to become the first team in the conference to win four in a row.

Trailing 60-68 with 5:52 to go in the third, Magnolia Beverage Masters began to make its move which Racela sparked with a booming trey that led to an 11-0 blast.

The 15-year veteran guard then capped the run with a lay-up that barely beat the buzzer, giving the Beverage Masters a 71-68 lead heading to the final 12 minutes.

Red Bull allowed the deficit to balloon to as many as 85-74, before it found its rhythm and tried to make a last ditch rally.

And they almost succeeded.

A three-pointer by Mick Pennisi had the Barakos outscoring the opposition, 15-8, in a four-minute span that cut Magnolia Beverage Masters lead to 89-93 with 1:46 left.

The Barakos were still in the ballgame, 97-92, when the scoring binge finally fizzled out, cut short by a dagger trey courtesy of Hontiveros that made it an 8-point Magnolia Beverage Masters lead.

Hontiveros also had 19 points for Magnolia Beverage Masters, while import Jameel Watkins and Mike Cortez likewise finished in double figures with 18 and 10, respectively.

Averaging 25.3 points in the Barakos’ 3-game winning run, Cyrus Baguio was held to just 17 this time. (GR)


The scores:

Magnolia Beverage Masters 102 – Tugade 22, Racela 19, Hontiveros 19, Watkins 18, Cortez 10, Pingris 6, Pena 4, Gonzales 2, Tolomia 2, Bono 0, Calaguio 0.

Red Bull Barako 95 – Parada 22, Baguio 17, Hrabak 14, Duncil 8, Cruz 8, Pennisi 6, Najorda 5, Sharma 4, Alvarez 4, Ybanez 0, Adriano 0.

Quarterscores: 28-26; 49-55; 71-68; 102-95.

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